Snotgirl #16 Review: Well Worth the Wait

It’s been more than four years since comics fans checked in with Lottie Person, but after a lot of waiting and patience, Snotgirl is finally back — and fans of the Image Comics series don’t have to do a deep dive to jump back in. Snotgirl #16 is not only a very welcome return to the social media and attention-centric influencer and her rather interesting social circle, but it serves as a great bridge from the issues that came before it and the newest challenge that Lottie is set to face — a new relationship and her mother.

Snotgirl #16 largely picks up where the series left off back in 2020 — and the issue does give readers a very brief, superficial recap on top of that. The issue finds Lottie in the aftermath of Meg’s (aka Normgirl) wedding and finds Lottie in the situation of her actual dreams: in bed with Caroline, aka Coolgirl. After the events of the wedding, the pair finally kissed and while Lottie doubts what she’s experiencing at first, it turns out that they really are in a relationship, with Lottie losing several days of time just wrapped up in the new, blissful relationship she’s found herself in. Of course, when the pair do venture out from their blissful bubble, it’s back to socializing with Lottie’s friend group where we get a recap of things there as well. Meg has moved on to a new group of “friends” to try to stay relevant, the core friend group is still as superficial as ever during their Hater’s Brunch, we find out that Meg’s fiancé Ashley is going through it and to top everything off, Lottie’s mom and her own friend group is at the same restaurant. It’s a lot, but in classic Snotgirl style, it all just flows with Lottie’s own special brand of easy breezy anxiety.

Broadly speaking, Snotgirl #16 fires on cylinders and makes the long wait for the issue simultaneously worth it and also not feel like much of a wait at all. Bryan Lee O’Malley and Leslie Hung have crafted a story — both in words and visually — that both satisfies longtime readers and should be enough to attract new ones, but more than that the story doesn’t feel like it was frozen in time pre-pandemic. We see pretty clearly and quickly that the relationship with Caroline is changing Lottie and it looks like for the better. This issue sees Lottie behave in perhaps her most mature way to date, though she’s also still very much Lottie and while that maturity is nice to see, she’s still pretty shallow. But what is particularly intriguing about Snotgirl #16 is that it wastes no time in giving Lottie a curveball that feels a little like an existential crisis. Lottie’s mom finding out about her relationship and then immediately wanting to have the girls over for dinner.

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It’s a fun bit of development for Lottie as a character and the issue feels very much like catching up with an old friend, but Snotgirl #16 isn’t just a reintroduction. The seeds of mystery remain in some of the more subtle storytelling, Virgil is still weirdly watching Sunny and something certainly still feels a little “off” about Caroline. It’s just a small part of the issue, but it definitely feels like it is sowing the seeds of something bigger as the story continues and serves as a reminder that there is a story outside of Lottie — just don’t tell Lottie that.

As for the art in the issue, Snotgirl #16 feels like no time has passed visually, but there are still some really stunning moments. In particular, the art as it relates to Lottie and Caroline’s more intimate moments is both beautifully and tastefully done. There is nothing exceptionally explicit here, but the simplicity of how the moments are drawn really stand out. Lottie’s facial expressions in particular are extremely well done and add a bit of depth to everything. After all, we’ve spent a lot of time previously in Lottie’s head; getting to see the actual expression of things has a unique beauty all of its own. It’s all very well done.

Overall, Snotgirl #16 is an issue that is well worth the wait. The series brings readers right back in while giving them just a bit of character development for Lottie as well. By serving as both a catch-up issue as well as by giving readers something just a little bit fresh for this character — and not to mention making some of-the-moment references to social media — the series has not only recaptured what made it such a favorite when we last got a new issue but also makes it a timely read for the now as well. The life cycle of an influencer may be short and unpredictable, but with Snotgirl #16, fans are going to continue to want to like, subscribe, and follow.

Published by: Image Comics

On: December 4, 2024

Written by: Bryan Lee O’Malley

Art by: Leslie Hung

Colors by: Rachael Cohen

Letters by: Mare Odomo and Iasmin Omar Ata